Perchance
by KNO
Summary: AU. "Wow, what are the odds we're both at the same party AGAIN?" A transferred continuation of 63 and 64 from my other fic "Vicissitude". Nejiten.
1. Part I

_If you read my collection fic, Vicissitude, this will look familiar. I've decided to transfer those chapters (63 and 64) to its own fic, since it will most likely exceed three installments. All additions will now be posted here only. Thanks for all of the wonderful readers/reviewers who enjoyed the idea so much they inspired me to write more!_

_The original idea was an AU prompt from Tumblr: characters are dragged to the same inane events by mutual friends_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

* * *

"Wow, what are the odds we're both at the same party _again_?"

Neji almost rolls his eyes, but decides not to give her the satisfaction. He raises an eyebrow at her instead.

"Right. Clearly the universe is sending us a sign," he responds drily, taking a swig from his beer.

Tenten's painted red lips pull into a grin. Neji can't deny that she looks pretty tonight—though why she felt the need to dress up for this fiasco of a Fourth of July barbecue he will never know.

She elbows him in the ribs. "Come on, you're supposed to be happy. We are celebrating independence after all."

Neji sends her a dull glare.

"This isn't even our holiday. We're not even in America."

Tenten shrugs. "It's entertainment, okay? Besides, it was Ino's idea. Ever since she spent that semester abroad I think she thinks she's American anyway."

They both look over to the blonde, who is dressed in a white top and cutoff jeans, her hair tied back in a red bandanna.

"Ino conned you here, didn't she?" Neji accuses, looking back to the brunette.

Tenten rolls her eyes. "How'd you know?"

"Because out of everyone here, you're the only one who comes close to being as annoyed as me by these stupid things."

"Duties of friendship," is her crisp response.

Summer had officially only started a month or so, not that this meant anything to the assembled Japanese students. They still had studying to do, papers to write, etc. No rest for the studious, and all that.

Except the fact that this year, there had been an increase in the number of get-togethers instituted by their friends.

Neji glances at Tenten, who's verbally trying to decide if she wants to risk getting dessert before dinner has officially been served. He and Tenten were not friends—they were mutual acquaintances through friends. They'd even gone to school together, but Neji doesn't really remember anything about her, except for that one time she accidentally set a classroom on fire during a festival day. They went to different universities—Neji to the esteemed technology-focused college in the middle of the city, and Tenten to a rival university across town. Other than that, he didn't know much about her, other than that they had been consistently dragged to the same parties for weeks now.

Tenten walks back over to him, inconspicuously holding a plate of cake. She glances over her shoulder, to see if she's been spotted. Neji wants to point out to her that if she had, Ino would have already descended upon her, squawking in her ear, but refrains. She's just covering her bases.

"This is good. Wanna try?" She holds the fork out to him, but Neji wrinkles his nose. Tenten grins.

"I can see why we're not friends," she tells him, surveying the party with sharp eyes.

Neji stares at her.

"It's because we have different friend groups, clearly for good reason," Neji answers, gesturing to Ino.

Tenten tilts her head at him and sends him an annoyed expression. "That's not funny. She's a good friend of mine."

"Because otherwise you wouldn't be here," Neji states.

She faces him, placing a hand on her hip. "You know why we're really not friends? It's because you're an ass."

And with that, she stalks away, joining the crowd.

Neji doesn't understand why, but it puts him in a decidedly bad mood for the rest of the evening.

* * *

"Oh, great. You're here."

It is August and the school term is about to resume. This is the last hurrah before they're all buried in work.

Neji stares at her and narrows his eyes. "I was invited," he says, gesturing to Naruto. "Why are you here?"

"Neji! Don't be rude to my guests!" Naruto calls from a few feet away, his blue eyes darting back and forth between them. "Tenten is good friends with Sakura-chan."

Neji looks at Tenten. "Of course she is."

Tenten glares back at him and rises from her spot.

"What are you doing?" Neji asks.

"Running away from your bad energy," Tenten calls over her shoulder.

Neji deliberates for a second, before following her into Naruto's kitchen. She is in the middle of popping a cookie into her mouth when he walks in. Neji smirks.

"What is it with you and stealing desserts?"

Tenten rolls her eyes. "Why are you pestering me?"

Neji leans against the doorpost and sighs, hating himself for the words about to come out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry. For what I said the last time I saw you."

"Why?" Tenten says, breaking another cookie in half.

"Because I was a jerk."

Tenten narrows her eyes at him, but waves her hand in dismissal.

"Fine. No hard feelings, alright?"

Neji nods.

Tenten studies him for a second before handing him the other half of the cookie. He takes it, trying not to see it as anything other than a dessert. But he looks at her, and he knows and she knows that it is much more than a cookie. It is an extended peace offering, an offer of friendship—maybe.

Tenten raises an eyebrow at him and smirks, before brushing by him, leaving him in the kitchen alone.

In the silence of the room, Neji considers it before consuming the cookie.

* * *

When she sees him she's surprised. Honestly, Neji is surprised too.

"You're at my school," Tenten says, walking over to him slowly.

She's bundled up warmly against the winter weather. Her boots have ducks on them. _She's so weird_, Neji thinks absently.

"It seems that I am," Neji responds, tugging down on his toboggan to cover the tips of his ears.(1)

Tenten stares up at him, waiting for an explanation.

"Are you free?" Neji asks, feeling his Adam's apple bob as he swallows nervously.

Tenten continues to stare. "Right now?"

Neji nods.

"Uh . . . yeah. But why? Why are you here, Neji?"

"It's cold."

Tenten chuckles. "Um, yeah, I know. But I doubt you traveled all the way here just to tell me that."

Neji doesn't want to say it because it's embarrassing and really—they're not even friends. But he hasn't been able to stop thinking about her ever since that damned cookie.

Neji decides to just say it, so he can get past this excruciating cycle of questions.

"I want you to go out with me. On a date."

Tenten's eyes widen a little, but her expression remains confused.

"O—kay?" she says.

She moves forward and loops her arm through his, stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets.

"Where to?"

Neji looks down at her, bewildered.

"Seriously? It was that easy?" he asks.

Tenten makes a face. "Not really. . . I'm still going to need an explanation. But it _is_ cold. You can escort me to my dorm while we negotiate."

Neji smiles and proceeds to tell her about the cookie, keeping the whole fate thing to himself. Tenten takes all of this in silence, and when they reach her dorm's front door, she pulls out her card-key.

She assesses Neji and then says, "I accept your reasoning. You can pick me up tomorrow at eight."

She waves, and opens the door, slipping inside and charging up the stairs without a look back to him.

Neji turns away, still slightly puzzled, but pleased with the turn of events. Who knew those stupid parties would have been good for something?

* * *

(1) Small note here: It's come to my attention that not everyone uses the word "toboggan" the same. Apparently, most people in the States use it to refer to a sled. However, in the South, we've always used it in reference to a knit cap you wear in the winter. So—regional differences for you there.

_Review?_


	2. Part II

_The follow-up. . ._

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, no rights belong to me.

* * *

Neji picks Tenten up at 8 sharp the next evening, and he is certain that he has never been so nervous his entire life. It was bad enough that he had practically embarrassed himself beyond reprieve the previous night; to think that the fiasco waiting to happen would be anything short of miserable was stupid.

Neji exhales slowly as he walks towards her dorm, attempting to not be so pessimistic. He is not successful.

Tenten is already waiting outside for him. Her hair is down and covered by a knit winter cap, one of those girlish ones with the ties with poms at the end. Even though Neji is sure it was made in mind for a five-year-old, it somehow manages to suit her. She's traded her duck boots for sensible leather boots. Her winter coat is a dark purple.

"Hey," she greets, expression unreadable.

Neji nods to her in response. This is what intrigues him about her—unlike other women he knows, Tenten doesn't wear her emotions on her sleeve. She always keeps them hidden behind a carefully placed mask.

"So, where to?" Tenten asks him.

"There's a restaurant a few blocks down I thought we could go to."

He watches as a small smile pulls at the corner of her mouth, and he can tell that she's amused. Neji tries not to panic.

They walk across campus in silence, and Neji is itching to talk to her but he miraculously has nothing to say. However, from the glances that he manages to sneak at Tenten in his peripheral vision, she doesn't seem to mind. She's actually _humming_ a little, softly, under her breath.

"So," Neji begins, trying not to be awkward.

Tenten raises her eyebrows at him. "So," she replies, waiting.

Neji takes in his surroundings, trying to pull something natural to talk about. He gestures to the snow that's lightly falling. "Did you know that the only snowflakes that appear one of a kind are the larger snow crystals? The smaller ones can look the same to our naked eye, even though at a molecular level they differ."

She laughs at him.

Neji tries to suppress the flush rising to his cheeks. _Failure, idiot, stupidstupidstupid._

"I actually _did_ know that already," Tenten says, grinning at him. "I'm in microbiology."

Neji stares at her. "You're joking."

Tenten narrows her eyes. "No, I'm serious. Why, you don't think a girl can major in science?"

Privately, Neji is surprised she is pursuing such a career choice, but it is less about her gender, than it is about the fact that she seemed more likely to major in something like medieval literature or military history.

"That's my major, well, sort of," Neji says.

It is Tenten's turn to seem surprised. "Sort of?"

"I'm getting a double major in microbiology and math."

Tenten's eyes bulge out of her head. "Are you in_sane_?"

Neji shakes his head, smirking. "No. Naruto tells me I'm an overachiever."

Tenten rolls her eyes. "Showoff," she mutters.

It falls silent between them again, and Neji inwardly fights back his panic. This date is not starting off well.

* * *

However, Neji really shouldn't have fretted over the conversation, because the night only continues to get progressively worse.

"Get down!" Tenten hisses from across the table, deftly flicking her menu up to hide her face.

Neji stares at her, wondering if this is a joke. She steps on his toes rather forcefully under the table, and Neji decides, maybe, she's not kidding. He ducks his head, calmly setting up his menu to face the restaurant, leaving them conspicuously invisible from the rest of the patrons. Neji pulls down Tenten's menu.

Her cheeks are pink, and her forehead has a sheen to it from sweat. Her brown eyes are wild—darting to-and-fro between Neji's face, the menu they're hiding behind, and the slim view of the restaurant she can see behind Neji's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" he asks quietly, puzzled.

Tenten's blush deepens. "My ex-boyfriend is over there."

Neji turns his head to sweep the room, "Where? I don't—"

"Don't _look_! Are you _crazy_?!" Tenten whispers harshly. She reaches across to grab the front of his shirt, turning his attention back to her.

Neji is pulled down a little; Tenten's grip is tight. They are practically eye-to-eye.

Neji tries to gauge what the correct course of action should be in this situation. "Do you—do you want to leave?" he asks.

"_No!_" Tenten says, her hot breath hitting him in the face. "We just—I don't know, we need to just not be seen."

"For how long? We look ridiculous."

"Just until he leaves, okay? I'm sorry, it just—it didn't really end well and I don't know what he would do if he saw me."

Neji pries Tenten's hand from his shirt, shooting her a look as he sits up a little, enough to peer over the top of the menu.

"Which one is he?" Neji asks from the corner of his mouth.

He hears Tenten sigh, irritated, but she answers a few seconds later, "The one with the toothpick."

Neji thinks this is a pretty poor description, but nonetheless, the man is easy to find. His hair is a dull brown, his expression fairly sullen, and it is clear that he is nowhere near Tenten's age.

"How old is he?" Neji says, glancing down at her.

Tenten has covered her eyes with her hand, out of embarrassment or shame Neji cannot tell.

"Thirty. I had a lapse in judgment."

"_Thirty?_" Neji says, eyebrows shooting up.

Tenten groans, her hand falling to reveal her face. She looks positively uncomfortable. She points a finger at him from her lowered position. "Please do not mock me. This is excruciating enough as it is."

"Do you . . . want to talk about it?" he offers lamely a moment later.

Tenten shoots him a glare. "Please stop."

Neji remains silent until their waitress comes by. She glances between them curiously but says nothing as she takes their order, promising that their food will arrive promptly.

"Not soon enough," Tenten mutters to herself.

Neji keeps a keen eye on Tenten's ex-boyfriend. He leaves when Neji and Tenten are ¾ of the way finished eating.

"The coast is clear," Neji says to her. Tenten has managed to eat her food crouched down, her face inches from her plate. As he watched her, Neji thought a lot about the price of dignity.

"Thank God." Tenten sits up, wincing from her cramped muscles. She folds the menu-turned-partition carefully, avoiding Neji's gaze.

"Are you going to explain, or—?"

Tenten pushes her fork around her noodles, but eventually says, "It was only for a few weeks. He's kind of the TA that taught one of my labs last semester. Like I said, lapse in judgment."

As surprised as Neji is, he finds himself smiling, amused. "And you broke up with him?" he inquires.

Tenten nods, still looking anywhere but at his face. "He was kind of controlling. I talked to Sakura and Ino about it and they helped me figure it out."

"Hm." Neji looks back to his plate, intent on finishing his food. He notices Tenten's gaze tentatively lift to study him, and he can tell her eyes are analytical. She wants to know what he thinks of her. But Neji lets her wonder.

* * *

The consensus for doing something else is decidedly negative. Their walk back to Tenten's campus is again, silent. The snow is falling heavier now.

As they walk up the steps of her dorm, Tenten says, "Can I be honest with you?"

Neji nods, curious as to what she will say.

"This was kind of the worst date I have ever been on," she continues, shooting him a sideways glance.

Neji attempts not to take that personally, but he is unsuccessful. "Sorry," he says.

"Oh, no!" Tenten shakes her head quickly at him, grasping his arm as they come to stop at her dormitory door. "It's not your fault—well, not entirely, anyway. I kind of made it worse."

Neji really doesn't know what he expected. Sure, he liked her, he thought she was attractive—but meeting someone through a party? Especially a party thrown by mutual friends? Neji didn't do things like this; it was definitely not his style. _Dating_ was not his thing. This had been doomed from the beginning.

He waves her words aside, bowing his head a little. "No, it's my fault. I don't know what I was thinking."

Tenten exhales, looking behind him out to the snow-covered campus. She rests her hand on his shoulder, sharing a small smile with him.

"You were a good sport though," she tells him, and there is kindness in her eyes, and perhaps a little bit of interest as well.

Neji looks back at her, trying to place the expression.

Suddenly, without pause, she leans forward and kisses him, her hands gripping his collar tightly to pull him close. Neji's hand rests on her waist, his other rising to grasp her neck. She shivers under his touch—he isn't wearing gloves.

He kisses her back, reveling in how her mouth is so fast, so much quicker than his. He tries to catch her, make her still as he focuses, but she just nips his bottom lip with her teeth. She presses against his chest, and Neji pulls back, his lip snapping back into place as she releases him.

Her eyes are impossibly dark, illuminated only by the lights inside the lobby. "See you around?" she smirks, winking at him before disappearing inside her dorm. Neji doesn't have a chance to even respond, let alone ask her out again.

Neji turns slowly back to the sidewalk. He decides on his way home that he really likes kissing her.

* * *

_You like it? Let me know!_


	3. Part III

_I blame all of you fabulous people for doing this to me._

**Disclaimer:** Yah no

* * *

Tenten has some difficulty scrubbing the smile off her face over the next few days. She tries to tell herself that it is _not _because Hyuga Neji is embarrassingly cute, it is _not_ because she found that terrible date painfully endearing, and it is definitely _not_ because he is a good kisser. It just isn't.

But, before she gets halfway through convincing herself of these things, she ends up dwelling on them instead, and the grin is back with a vengeance, pulling at the corners of her mouth.

_Stop it_, she tells herself sternly.

Technically, the fact that she is amused by any of it is surprising because Hyuga Neji is not her type, at all. Tenten prides herself on her extensive history of dating bad boys, each one worse than the last. Her friends tell her she has bad taste, but Tenten thinks of it as a joke more than anything.

"I'm dating them for fun," she tells them. "They're not serious." She's always treated with skeptical (Sakura) and appreciative (Ino) glances, respectively.

Honestly, Tenten thinks Hyuga Neji is weird—only a step above some of the creepier guys she's come across. Tenten's bad boy preferences cannot be applied to Neji in the slightest. He is introduce to the parents, responsible, good student, considerate, Class A boyfriend material. Hyuga Neji is not someone who makes Tenten want to climb onto the back of his motorcycle. He's more like study group leader or something. Tenten winces, but shrugs. No use denying the truth.

And yet—she bites her lip. She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. There was no way she could bring herself to go through with it, no way.

* * *

"So, how was your date?" Sakura asks, sipping her chai.

She and Tenten are waiting at Starbucks. Ino is late as usual.

Tenten scratches her bitten fingernail across the wood surface of their table. "Well, it sucked, honestly."

Sakura tilts her head to the side, and opens her mouth to respond when Ino arrives, sitting in the remaining chair with a loud huff. "Remind me, please, not to wear new heeled boots to walk across town," the blonde says loudly, leaning her head back tiredly.

Sakura rolls her eyes. "Pig, will you shut it? Tenten was just telling me about her date."

"What!" Ino exclaims, turning sharp blue eyes on her friend. "What date?!"

"I had a date last night," Tenten says flatly, taking a sip of her coffee.

Ino's eyebrows arch suspiciously. "This better not be Genma again."

"_Anyway_," Sakura interrupts, shooting a look at Ino. "You were saying?"

"It was probably the worst date I've ever been on."

"Why? What happened?"

Tenten sighs, "On the way to dinner, he started telling me about the genetic makeup of snowflakes, which duh, I already know that, and then when we got to the restaurant Genma was sitting at a table, so I hid."

Sakura and Ino stare at her. "You hid from Genma? On your date with another boy?"

Tenten nods. "I had no choice."

"Oh, God, does this mean you told him the whole story?" Ino asks, her hand flying to her forehead in secondhand shame.

"Not the whole story. . ." Tenten defends.

There is a collective groan from her two friends, and Tenten's embarrassment rises. "Look, he took it, you know, okay, considering."

"What happened after that?" Sakura asks, waving this information aside.

"Well, we both knew the night was a goner. So, he just walked me back to my dorm . . . and I told him the date had been pretty bad—"

"_Tenten!_ You didn't! I can't believe you said that!" Sakura says.

Ino shrugs in response, sniffing. "At least she was honest."

"_Anyway_, I told him the date had been pretty bad, and then . . . well, I kind of made out with him a little."

Ino grins approvingly, but Sakura just shakes her head, looking at the cup in her hands. "You two are ridiculous. Way to send him mixed signals, Tenten."

Instead of replying, Tenten drains her coffee. The warm liquid is soothing to her throat.

"I didn't even know you had a date! When did this happen?" Ino says, ignoring Sakura as she sips some of the girl's tea.

"He asked me the day before yesterday."

"That's weird. I haven't heard you talk about anyone. Who is it?"

Tenten hesitates to answer. It is not because she fears their reaction (okay, maybe she does a little), nor is it because she thinks they would disapprove (Sakura would be all-in; Ino would at least withhold her judgment). Tenten pauses because she kind of likes keeping this secret to herself—Hyuga Neji, however incompatible he is to her, is different and new and Tenten likes the feeling he brings to her thoughts.

But she gives in and tells, because Ino has her ways of getting information. "Hyuga Neji."

There is quiet at the table, and Tenten isn't sure how to take the two girls' gaping expressions. Ino is the first to respond—guffawing so loudly that the customers at the next table shoot her dirty looks.

"Oh, my God, you're _kidding_ me, please say you're kidding," the blonde laughs, clutching her chest for air.

Tenten glares at her, a little miffed. "No, I'm serious."

Ino's chortle increases in decibel, and Sakura stuffs a napkin in the open girl's mouth, rolling her eyes. "Honestly," the other girl says, turning back to Tenten. "Wow. That's—that's something."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tenten asks, eyes narrowing.

"Nothing!" Sakura is quick to say. "It's just. . . He's so. . ."

"Nice? Polite? Proper?" Ino lists.

"Yeah," Sakura says lamely, forehead creasing.

Tenten doesn't understand what they're saying. "And I'm . . . not?"

"No! No, no, no, that's not what I'm saying," Sakura says.

"Yes," answers Ino.

"Will you stop?!" Sakura punches Ino hard on the arm, and the blonde groans a little from the impact. "Tenten _is_ nice, it's just. . . Neji is so. . . I don't know, different?"

"And different is bad," Tenten states, guessing at her meaning.

"No! I don't—I don't know what I'm trying to say." Sakura sinks back in her chair, hiding behind her cup.

Ino turns to the brunette. "He must have been a good kisser, right? I mean, you did say you made out."

Tenten shares a devilish grin with her friend. "He's . . . capable," Tenten ends slyly.

Ino cackles as Sakura hisses, "You guys are ridiculous."

They get off subject, switching to Sakura's woes with Naruto and Sasuke (not much to report, same situation), and Ino's endless string of guys (though Shikamaru is very persistent in getting her to commit). However, at the conclusion of these discussions, it circles back to Tenten.

"Are you going to see him again?"

Tenten shrugs. "Shouldn't that be up to him? I don't even have his phone number."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to go out with him again?"

Tenten mulls it over. Does she? Even though the date was terrible, it wasn't all his fault—she had as much to do with it as he did. Shared responsibility and all that. Besides, it _was_ just one date, and it _had_ ended on a good note (she really had enjoyed kissing him). And there was no denying that Hyuga Neji was intriguing, regardless of his poor conversation topics.

"I wouldn't be opposed to it," Tenten says without commitment.

"Well, I just so happen to have his number. You want it?" Sakura asks, holding up her phone.

Tenten chews on the inside of her cheek. She breaks, "Yeah, okay", and leans across the table to punch it into her phone contacts.

* * *

"Hi!" Tenten greets anxiously biting her thumbnail when he answers. She has debated about calling him for hours now, ever since she got the number from Sakura.

At first, she thought she could just text him and be done with it, but then there's the awkward situation where she didn't know if he texted, or if he would respond to an unknown number, or if he would just ignore it altogether.

So she had decided to call, which brought up a whole other arsenal of problems—what if he didn't answer? Should she leave a voicemail? Would it be weird to leave him a voicemail? How long should she wait to call—isn't there a waiting period for these types of things?

And then Tenten just mashed the call button because the overanalyzing was driving her crazy, and honestly, when has she ever been one to obsess over these things? He hadn't called her; she'd kind of perpetuated that she never wanted to see him again, this was her duty. Inwardly, Tenten grimaces. _Duty? Wow._

"This is Tenten," she hurriedly says, wincing at the unusually high pitch of her voice. _God, why is she so __**nervous**__?!_

"Oh," Neji says on the other end of the line. "Hello."

Tenten accidentally bites down on her nail with heavy force and she curses into the phone, dancing around her room in an attempt to soothe the pain.

"What did you say?" Neji asks, his tone overly polite.

Tenten whispers another curse, saying in an audible voice, "Ah, nothing! Sorry about that. Uh, how are you?"

There is a pause, and Tenten literally smacks herself on the forehead. _'How are you?' What was that?_

"I'm fine," Neji says slowly. She can detect the bemused smirk in his mouth, and her humiliation skyrockets. _When did she get so bad at this? Usually she had no problem—_ "Did you only call to ask how I was?"

"Uh, well, no, I guess not." Tenten scrambles for a reason. In her haste to be rid of the circles she'd been running in her head, she had failed to actually come up with a legitimate cause for calling. _Dammit. Think, Tenten!_ "Uh, so, the other night. . ."

Neji waits.

"Um," Tenten runs her hand through her bangs, "thanks? We—me, that is, I guess I was wondering if you wanted a do-over? Since last night sucked?" Tenten flinches at her poor delivery, shaking her head at herself.

Neji is silent for a long time before he says, "Why? You said it was the worst date you've ever been on."

"Well, okay, I might have been exaggerating. It wasn't _all_ bad," she says, thinking of his lips. She clears her throat. "You can say no. I know that I probably scared you off."

"Tenten," Neji says. Her heart picks up a little—something about the way he says her name. . . "Are you sure you want to go out with me again?"

"Yes," Tenten answers. "Except maybe this time we could do something . . . simpler. And with less chance of running into my ex-boyfriends." She laughs and then immediately regrets it, realizing that it's not funny.

"You . . . want to catch a movie, or something?" asks Neji.

"Yes! Movie! Perfect," Tenten exclaims, a little louder than necessary. "Um, like now, tonight?"

"Let me. . ." his voice trails off, and Tenten can hear him rustling through paper. "Tonight's fine. Do you want to meet me there?"

"Yeah!" Tenten is already envisioning the shuttle schedule in her mind. "Seven, okay?"

"Alright. See you then."

Tenten ends the call and holds her arms up high like she just did a victory lap in the Olympics. Then the painful awkwardness that she inflicted on the whole conversation hits her.

"Man, what the hell? I am so off my game."

* * *

To say that Neji is surprised by Tenten's phone call and suggestion they go on another date, is a fairly large understatement. Walking away from their first date, he had resigned himself to leaving her alone and avoiding her at all costs (no matter how much he had enjoyed kissing her). She had made it clear she hadn't had a good time, and since it was half his fault, it was only logical to remove himself from the equation.

But then she had called him. Absently, Neji wonders how she even got his number, because he certainly never gave it to her. But, that's really beside the point—she had called, she wanted to see him again—tonight, no less! Short notice, but if it meant having another chance . . . well, Neji knew he would be a fool not to take it.

He waits outside the theater for her, hands shoved in his coat pockets to keep them warm. He is decidedly less nervous than he was the previous day, which Neji takes as a good sign. Besides, there is little time to talk during a movie, which means less time for him to make a fool of himself.

They see each other at the same time, and Neji stands still as Tenten comes up to him. She's wearing that dumb hat again. But it _does_ look cute on her, Neji decides.

He goes to pay for her ticket, but Tenten vigorously shakes her head and jumps in front of him in line. Inside, she buys popcorn and a soda, waiting on Neji to lead the way into the theater.

They settle in the middle section. Tenten offers him some of her drink and popcorn, but Neji stiffly declines, wondering if her penchant for desserts extends to all junk food. They are quiet as they wait for the lights to fall dark, both seeking for something to say.

Neji didn't even know what they were seeing. Tenten picked the movie. However, when the lights are doused and the screen comes to life, he instantly realizes that she has terrible cinematic taste.

It is a garish slasher film.(1) The first scene alone contains two deaths—one character's trachea is pulled out with some pliers, another falls on a large assemblage of garden rakes (really?) and is impaled.

Neji glances over at Tenten. Surely she didn't pick this movie knowingly. However, Tenten sits enraptured, stuffing popcorn in her mouth, only halfway through chewing when she fills her mouth with soda. Neji doesn't know if the sight is humorous or grotesque.

She senses his gaze and turns to him. "What?" she whispers.

Neji shakes his head, flicking his eyes back to the screen. He sees Tenten analyze him for another minute before turning back to the movie. In his peripheral vision, he watches as she shifts the popcorn container closer to her face, attempting to be more inconspicuous, but if anything, her consumption is only a steady increase.

Neji notices that he's smiling. It is promptly wiped off his mouth when the slasher in the movie beheads his next victim.

* * *

"What did you think of the movie?" Tenten asks him as they exit the theater.

"It wasn't what I expected," Neji replies carefully.

Tenten grins at him. "So you hated it."

"Pretty much," Neji says honestly.

Tenten laughs, and her eyes dance a little as she scans the city street. "Want to get some ice cream?"

"It's winter."

"So?" Tenten says, starting towards a yogurt shop a few blocks down.

"It's cold," Neji reminds.

Tenten shrugs. "Alright, suit yourself. But I'm getting some."

Ten minutes later, they are back outside, walking aimlessly. Tenten is humming happily as she tastes her ice cream—chocolate, adorned with pretzels and walnuts.

Neji's curiosity is about to burst its seams. "Why did you call me?" he asks.

He glances at her, and she is considering the lights that have been wrapped around the trees for Christmas. They reflect a little in her eyes.

"Do you want the honest answer, or the made-up one?" she eventually counters.

Neji purses his lips. He does not want to play such a game. Tenten eyes him and says, without waiting for a response, "You're going to think I'm shallow."

"Tell me anyway," he says.

Tenten grimaces, sticking her spoon in her dessert like it's a pole in the ground. A blush creeps across her cheeks. "I told Sakura and Ino, and how last night went. . . They were—well, I guess surprised is the best word—that you asked me out in the first place."

"Why?" Neji's forehead creases.

"They think we're really different." Tenten shoots him an apologetic look. "And you're not really my type, to be honest."

This stings less than Neji thought it would. "Your type is thirty year old senpais," Neji says measuredly.

Tenten manages to snicker and look offended. She shoves him a little. "Wow, thanks."

Neji shrugs, smirking. "Am I wrong?"

Tenten ignores him, saying, "What I mean to say is that the type of guys I usually go out with are . . . you know, trouble. I guess I'm a little bit of an adventure-junkie. And you're, well, not."

Neji frowns. "You don't know that for certain."

Tenten treats him to a condescending smile. "Oh, really? Have you ever been arrested?"

Neji shakes his head. His family would rather bury him alive than he have a criminal record.

"Tattoos?" Tenten is holding her spoon, holding it aloft as she swallows her ice cream. He wonders if she's pretending to direct traffic.

"No."

"Do you have any drug problems? Have you ever seen a psychiatrist? Do you know how to operate a motorcycle?"

"No," Neji answers.

Tenten lifts her eyebrows sadly. "Then I am afraid, Hyuga Neji, that you are not like any of the guys I've dated before. Which is why my friends reacted the way they did."

"They don't like me," Neji states, forehead creasing.

Tenten glances at him, eyes wide. "Oh, no. They have no problem with you! They think that _you're_ too good for _me_."

Neji lifts an eyebrow quizzically. "Am I?" he asks softly.

Tenten's mouth twists into a half-smile, but it is not pleasant. "Probably," she mutters, turning back to her ice cream.

They walk a few more moments in silence until Neji points out, "You never answered my question. Why did you call me, if we're not compatible?"

A mischievous look crosses her face.

"I liked kissing you," she says, smiling into her ice cream.

Neji tries not to let that go too quickly to his head. "That's the only reason?"

Tenten bites her lip. "No. You—I don't know. You just . . . you're completely different from the other boys I've dated. And maybe I like that, a little."

Neji mulls this over, trying to make sense of it.

"Hey," Tenten says. She grasps his coat sleeve and pulls him close to her, angling them both to the side of the sidewalk. Her mouth brushes his, and Neji grips her waist, grabbing a handful of her coat. Her arm slides behind his head. She tastes like chocolate; the ice cream lingering on her lips.

Neji breaks away first this time. He looks down at her, and attempts to resist the pouty gaze she's giving him.

But they're in public, and Hyuga Neji, however much he likes this girl, cannot bring himself to be one of those blatantly obvious individuals who kiss in front of random strangers.

"Sorry," Tenten says, reading his expression. Her cheeks are flushed with embarrassment and the bite from winter. She chews on a fingernail distractedly. Carefully, Neji takes her hand, slipping his fingers around hers.

They walk to the shuttle together and get on, Neji deciding to make sure she got to her stop near the university safely. They say little on the ride, content with each other's silence. Several minutes before Tenten gets off, Neji asks, "Was this an improvement from yesterday?"

A slow smile spreads across her face. "Yes. But it's still weird."

"If this were any other date, what would you be doing right now?" Neji says, curious.

Tenten sinks back in her chair, rolling her eyes. "I'd probably be at some party, wondering when I could go home because the music's too loud and I have to study. Or I'd be just hanging out with the guy, at his place." Tenten studies him. "What about you?"

Neji raises his eyebrows. "I don't date," he answers simply.

"Oh, you're one of those long-term relationship people," Tenten says knowingly.

He shakes his head. Tenten narrows her eyes in confusion. "I don't ask people out. I don't go on dates," Neji supplies. "School rules that out for me." _And my family, but there's no reason to bring that up_, he thinks to himself.

Tenten stares at him and then grasps her forehead. "Oh, God," she whispers under her breath.

Neji feels her second-wave embarrassment for him and winces. "I just ruined it, didn't I?" he states quietly.

Tenten's body is shaking, but when Neji reaches over and pulls her hand away from her face, he can see she's laughing.

He shakes his head and leans his head back against the seat. She's genuinely laughing at him! This night is just as bad as the previous!

Tenten's hand slides up to grip his arm. There are tears in her eyes, a grin on her mouth. "Neji, no, I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at myself!"

"Why? You can't believe you went out on a second date with someone as lame as me?" Neji retorts sullenly.

Tenten squeezes his arm and places a kiss on his cheek.

"No. It's not you. I'm laughing because this is so out of the ordinary for me. If my friends saw me right now, I'm pretty sure they'd have me psychoanalyzed."

Neji does not find this anymore encouraging. Tenten realizes she is not being helpful and says, "Listen. I know that our current . . . acquaintanceship has not been the smoothest. But what I'm trying to say is that I want to see where this goes. Really."

There is a desire for acceptance and agreement in her brown eyes, and Neji weighs it against his own feelings.

"But I'm not what you usually want," he points out.

Tenten shrugs. "Even I don't know what I want. And where has that gotten me? In crappy situations with crappy guys. I never take dating seriously—which is why this should be up to you. . . Because . . . I don't want to hurt you. You're . . . special, and I don't want to screw you up."

Neji hardly thinks that's possible, and he has no idea where she's coming from with that 'special' comment, but he leans forward and briefly kisses the corner of her mouth. Tenten closes her eyes, sinking into it, but then the shuttle slows to a stop. Her eyelids slide open sleepily.

"Goodnight," Neji tells her, releasing her hand.

Tenten walks off the shuttle, and waves a hand at him through the window. It is then, as the shuttle leaves, that she realizes how much she wants him, and the heaviness of it takes her breath away.

She shoots a group text to Sakura and Ino as she walks home: **I think I'm sick.**

* * *

(1) If you're unfamiliar with this term, slasher movies are horror films that usually just have a main character that goes around and kills everyone. Think Hitchcock's _Psycho_ or _Halloween_. Lots of blood, lots of violence. Not a lot of "high-art".

_Ugh. . . What did you guys think?_


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